Target Practice
by sheriffandsteel
Summary: Daryl teaches Beth how to shoot a crossbow.


He'd be lying if he said he hadn't felt a swell of pride as Beth easily picked up the aspects of tracking. She was smart, and tracking in itself wasn't exactly rocket science. As they trudged through the woods she easily picked up every bit of information that he gave her, retaining it with a simplicity that impressed even him.

Shooting the crossbow was a different matter. She was to used to shooting the gun she kept in her back pocket (the gun he definitely did not stare at because of its prime location, really he only looked to make sure she hadn't lost it). Adjusting to the weight of the crossbow took her time. He made sure not to manhandle her the way he had the day that they got drunk off of moonshine when he began to teach her. Getting her arms to the correct position wasn't the problem of course, the problem was not letting his hands linger. Standing so close to her, his hands on her shoulders or moving down her arms to adjust her hold, all he wanted to do was bury his head in her long blonde hair or the crook of her neck.

Somehow he always managed to resist it, though it wasn't like she exactly made it easy for him or anything. She often seemed to step back against him so that her body was perfectly fitted against his. She would also always turn her head to listen to his instructions which left him talking directly into her ear, his lips sometimes brushing against her skin. He had wondered at first if she was doing this on purpose, if she was trying to drive him into distraction and to lower his guard around her, but he managed to talk himself out of that crazy notion. He told himself that the girl did not want him the way he was beginning to want her.

Beth was just a touching type of person. She often touched his arm to catch his attention or brushed his hand to pass him something. Hell, even at nights when it was his turn on guard duty she would roll over and press herself into him in her sleep. The first few times this happened he had tried to scoot away but she would only clutch his legs or waist tighter and burrow herself closer. Eventually he stopped trying to get away. She was never embarrassed when he woke her up for her turn at guard duty so he assumed that she just liked to hold things as she slept.

That's not to say that he wasn't embarrassed when she woke up, especially the times when she wrapped herself a little to close around him or kept her head in his lap.

Teaching her to shoot the crossbow was a way he could be close to her in a setting that he was used to. It was a way he could get used to being in close proximity to her. He was hoping exposure would numb her effect on him.

He was wrong.

"Lift it higher." he whispered behind her as she stepped into the clearing where a walker sat hunched over the carcass of a deer. "Higher Greene." he hissed.

Her arms lifted the bow up and he saw her shoulders move as she took in a deep breath before firing the bolt. It sunk deep into the walker's neck and it's head lifted from the deer, blood coating its face. He heard Beth swear as she loaded another bolt with a grunt of effort. His hand drifted to his knife hilt and he took a step forward.

"No."she called back to him as the walker rose shambling to its feet. "I can do this."

Daryl stopped at the edge of the clearing but he did not remove his hand from his knife. She took another deep breath, this time holding it and caught the walker in her sights. This time when she pulled the trigger it sunk deep into the walker's forehead causing it to tumble backwards on top of the body of the deer.

"I got it." she cried happily, turning around to look at him with a large smile. He grunted in appreciation and stepped forward to retrieve his arrows.

"You missed your first shot. Can't afford to miss." Blood splattered up his pants leg as he removed the arrow from the disintegrated head at his feet. Grimacing he shook the arrows to shake some of the blood and bits of brain off them.

"Yes Beth, great job Beth. That was a much better shot than yesterday." Beth said in a mockingly deep voice. Daryl looked over at her with a raised eyebrow that she simply smiled back at.

"Would it kill you to give a little praise?" she asked softly looking down at her boots in a gesture that reminded him suddenly of her youth.

Sighing he cleared his throat and walked over to her, taking the crossbow from her hands. She looked up at him with an expectant look on her face. "Good shot. You're getting better." he muttered before moving to turn away from her smiling face when her small hand caught his wrist.

"See? Wasn't so hard was it?" she asked titling her head back to look up at him, her blue eyes wide and intent on his.

Rolling his eyes he nodded. "Painless." he grunted, staring down at her. "But you really can't afford to miss."

Beth smiled up at him and stepped closer. "Well some targets are easier than others." she whispered standing on her toes to press a kiss against the corner of his mouth. He went still and she pulled away, her face beginning to turn red as she began to turn away.

His heart froze in his chest before it began to beat in double time. He reached out and caught her upper arm, pulling her back to face him. Beth looked up at him hopefully, biting down on her bottom lip.

"Didn't I just tell you you can't afford to miss?" he whispered before catching her face in her hands and pressing his lips against hers and kissing her softly.

Beth smiled up at him as he pulled away. "Yes sir Mr. Dixon."


End file.
